County to vote courthouse expansion today

Published: Monday, November 19, 2012 at 09:35 PM.

PANAMA CITY - The Bay County Commission will vote Tuesday to move forward on a $13.5 million expansion for the county courthouse.

A vote in favor, however, would only lock in a 2.99 percent proposed interest rate and would not approve funding the project.

On Monday, three Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Court judges discussed the proposed expansion and said it’s vital the project move forward.

Why? It’s busy.

“If this business was for profit, we’d all be pretty wealthy by now,” said Judge Michael Overstreet.

From July 2010 to June 2011, the courthouse processed 14,324 criminal, civil and traffic cases, according to data released by the courthouse. Overstreet said plenty of studies have shown the courthouse is short on space. He pointed to the most recent one, conducted in 2009, which estimated the courthouse needs an additional 50,000 square feet.

PANAMA CITY - The Bay County Commission will vote Tuesday to move forward on a $13.5 million expansion for the county courthouse.

A vote in favor, however, would only lock in a 2.99 percent proposed interest rate and would not approve funding the project.

On Monday, three Fourteenth Judicial Circuit Court judges discussed the proposed expansion and said it’s vital the project move forward.

Why? It’s busy.

“If this business was for profit, we’d all be pretty wealthy by now,” said Judge Michael Overstreet.

From July 2010 to June 2011, the courthouse processed 14,324 criminal, civil and traffic cases, according to data released by the courthouse. Overstreet said plenty of studies have shown the courthouse is short on space. He pointed to the most recent one, conducted in 2009, which estimated the courthouse needs an additional 50,000 square feet.

“It’s a logjam,” he said.

Overstreet said the expansion is a “three-story project.” The bottom floor would be a parking garage providing secure parking for judges and their staff. The second and third floor would hold all circuit court business, including six new courtrooms. Circuit court deals with felonies and civil litigation in excess of $15,000.

All the particulars on the project haven’t been vetted yet because the architect came aboard only recently, Overstreet said.

The current plan is to connect the new building to the main courthouse through an enclosed “walkover,” Overstreet said. The expansion would sit on the old jail property.

Overstreet said surcharges on traffic tickets will fund the $13.5 million expansion. There is a $30 surcharge on civil infractions - most of which are traffic tickets. In 2009, the county passed an ordinance raising the surcharge to $30 from $15.

Surcharges raised $866,000 in 2011 and $872,000 through Sept. 30 of this year, said Judge Elijah Smiley.

“So we’ve got two years of history there,” he said.

The plan is to do standard financing, and no bond issue, on the expansion. Currently there is a proposal for 25-year financing at 2.99 percent, Smiley said.

“Those are just incredible interest rates,” he said.

BBVA Compass Bank is the proposed financier for the expansion, according to commission’s meeting agenda. If the commission votes to move forward, it locks in the rate, but is not required to accept the loan.

“It obligates them, but does not obligate us,” said Commission Chairman George Gainer.

Gainer said he supports the expansion because those who are using the courthouse and legal system are paying for it.

If the project is ultimately approved, the goal is to break ground in a year, Gainer said. The construction would take between two and two and a half years.

Smiley said they are being “really conscientious” to avoid overspending on the expansion. Overstreet agreed, saying they are “looking for function” on the building. And they are proceeding prudently. He said more than a year ago the project was moving forward, but it was put on hold until it could be confirmed the surcharges would fully fund it.

“Everybody’s now satisfied that the revenue stream is going to meet the projected cost of the project,” he said.

The meeting will be at 9 a.m. at the Bay County Government Complex on 11th Street.